Effect of Detergent Selection on Quantity of DNA Obtained and on STR Profile Developed from Bone-Derived DNA

Bone is sometimes the only source of DNA in cases of unidentified persons, missing persons, and mass fatality incidents, but bone characteristically provides lower quantities of DNA and lower quality short tandem repeat (STR) profiles than that of other sample types. Bone composition is very different from that of blood and soft tissue, therefore using a method designed for these other sample types is less effective for bone. A bone-specific extraction method is needed in order to improve these results. This study investigated the effects of detergent selection on both the quantity of DNA obtained and on the STR profiles produced from bone-derived DNA, as a part of developing a bone-specific DNA extraction protocol.